Ruben Selles’ Reading fell to their 10th defeat in 14 league games, surrendering a 2-0 lead against league leaders Portsmouth.
Reading raced into a two-goal lead, with midfielders Lewis Wing and Charlie Savage opening the scoring, but saw summer transfer target Tino Anjorin grab one back. The half-time whistle couldn’t come quickly enough, and the dangerous Colby Bishop pounced on a cross to restore parity.
The visitors dominated proceedings after the break and took a deserved lead through Terry Devlin who capitalised on poor marking in the box – his goal proved to be enough to earn Pompey all three points.
Here’s how the players fared:
David Button 7.5: Made several exceptional saves to deny shots from close range, including a Tino Anjorin overhead kick. Wasn’t given much assistance for any of the goals.
Andy Yiadom 6: The skipper made a welcome return after serving a three-game suspension. Bombed on in the opening stages but was pinned back more after the break.
Harlee Dean 4: Another unremarkable performance from the defender. Struggled to keep up with the guile of Colby Bishop and had no idea where Devlin was for the third goal.
Tyler Bindon 5: Looked more comfortable in the centre-back berth after a run of games filling in at right-back but never looked in total control of his individual duels.
Nesta Guinness-Walker 4: Both goals conceded in the first half came from his side and the left-back offered minimal coverage down the flank.
Michael Craig 5: Gave the other two midfielders the licence to roam forward in the first half. Battled hard until the end.
Charlie Savage 5: The first of two midfielders to get on the scoresheet. Tidy on the ball but could have been more robust in the challenge.
Lewis Wing 6: Took his goal brilliantly, picking up a loose ball on the edge of the box and firing past Norris. Made plenty of positive runs forward in the opening stages but faded late on.
Harvey Knibbs 4: A poor showing with the ball at his feet, failing to create openings. To his credit, covered a lot of ground to initiate the press.
Femi Azeez 4: The intent was there before the break but completely disappeared in the second period.
Sam Smith 5: Spurned a golden chance to make it 3-1 with the goal at his mercy after he had rounded the keeper. Barely given anything to work with after half-time.
Substitutes:
Ben Elliott 7: Played a couple of defence-splitting passes, showcasing his impressive range. Didn’t have enough time to influence the result.
Amadou Mbengue 5: Energetic and good to see him back. Lost possession in dangerous areas a couple of times.
Paul Mukairu 4: Offered very little after coming on.
Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan: N/A
Dom Ballard: N/A
